Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Johnny Manziel back on the bench after latest off field incident

On Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns announced that Josh McCown will replace Johnny Manziel as the team's starting quarterback. The move comes after an online video revealed Manziel partying in Texas last weekend during the Browns' bye week.

Manziel recently made headlines after witnesses reported seeing the Heisman Trophy winner driving dangerously on an interstate highway during a physical argument with his girlfriend.

The controversial quarterback was questioned by police, who smelled alcohol on his breath. Officers did not give Manziel a field sobriety test since he did not show any signs of being intoxicated.

NFL officials announced this week that Manziel will not face any disciplinary action for the incident involving his girlfriend and reckless driving.

Manziel has been demoted to the third-string quarterback for Monday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens.

“Josh McCown will be the starting quarterback on Monday night against the Ravens. I informed the quarterbacks of that decision after I sat down and spoke with Johnny, Flip (John DeFilippo) and Kevin (O’Connell) after practice today. Johnny will be the third quarterback. I’ve spoken to Ray (Farmer) and Jimmy (Haslam) to inform them of my decision, and they are in full support.

“Everyone in this organization wants what is best for Johnny just like we do for every player in our locker room. I’m especially disappointed in his actions and behavior because he has been working very hard.

"The improvements from last year to this year have been tremendous but he still has to consistently demonstrate that he has gained a good understanding of what it takes to be successful at the quarterback position on this level. It goes well beyond the field.

"We are going to continue to support him in every way possible, but at this point, we’ve decided it’s best to go with Josh as the starter going forward.

“You want to get a win for our team, for the guys in the locker room and for the fans and the people that support us.

“The city has been awesome in how they support us and we need to put a good product out there and win the football game. That is my focus," head coach Mike Pettine said in a statement.